Bradley a



(No Model.)

B. A. FISKE.

ARG LAMP RBGULATING MBGHANISM.

No. 324,311. Patented Aug. 11,1885.

Invent-0T. 646@ Wiz-7168883.

Nv wnzns. vmwmmgmphur. wnghingmn. n c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

BRADLEY A. FISKE, OF VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

ARC-LAMP-REGULATING MECHANISNI.

SPEC'FICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 324,311, dated August11, 1885.

Application led February 2G, 1885.

T0 all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, BRADLEY A. FIsKE, of Vashington, in the District ofColumbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inArc-Lamp-Regulating Mechanism," and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and eXact description of the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andto the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

My present invention relates to and comprehends what is regarded as anovel and improved method or system for actuating and controlling themovements of the carbon-carrying devices of electric-arc lamps.

It has heretofore been customary to depend upon the action of gravity,amechanical motor, or electro-magnetic propelling devices to effect thenecessary movement of the carbon or carbons to feed and form the arc,suitable regulating or controlling mechanism being employed to retard orsupplement the motions thus produced by the propelling mechanism.

The object of my present invention is to dispense with the movablegravitating devices, mechanical motors, and electro-magnetic devicesheretofore employed for driving or propelling the carbon-carriers, andto employ in lieu thereof a motor driven by aiiuidelastic orinelastic-maintained under pressure, the application or delivery whereofto the motor being automatically governed by suitable electro-magneticdevices included in the lamp-circuit, whereby the movements of thecarbon or carbons are positively and accurately effected, and themechanism carrying the carbons held and maintained in position afteradjustment, so that if subjected to a swinging motion, or to shocks andjars, the carbons or their operating mechanism will not be injuriouslyaffected, as is liable to be the case when gravity is depended upon topropel the carbons or actuate the feed-controlling mechanism.

XV ith this end in View my said invention consists, generally7 in thecombinatiomwith a mechanism adapted to carry or communicate motion tothe movable carbon or carbons, of

(No modela a propelling device or motor, a fluidsupply communicatingtherewith, and an interposed Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views ofgoverningmechanism such as may be employed for controlling theapplication of the duid to the propelling device or motor. Figs. 5 and 6illustrate modiiications in the structure of the motor.

Similar letters of reference in the 'several figures indicate likeparts.

The carboncarrying mechanism may be of any approved form-such as ashalt, A, having right-and-left screw-threads, to which are applied thecarbon-holders B, as is well understood. Vhen the shaft A is rotated inone direction, it will cause the simultaneous approach of thecarbon-carriers, and when rotated in the opposite direction will causethem to separate. To the shaft A or other prime motor of the lamp may betransmitted,through appropriate devices, the motions of the propellingvdevice or motor. In the present instance a pinion or gear-wheel, C,fastened to theshaft A, and a rack, D, is so disposed and supported thatits teeth shall engage those of the gear C.

The propelling device or motor is in the present instance composed of acylinder, E, and piston F working therein. To the piston Fis attach ed apiston-rod, F, extending through a stufiing-box in one end of thecylinder and connected to the rack D in such manner that the two shallmove in unison. The cylinder E is connected at either end by pipes c ewith a main pipe or conduit, G, leading from a steam-boiler oran air,gas, or liquid reservoir, wherein the iiuid for actuating the propellingdevice is mai nlained under pressure. Located in the main G,atapointinternlediate the pipes I' c, is a valve, f/, ofany approvedconstruction, and beyond the second pipe c is another similar valve, g.To the stems of the valves f/ f/ are connected levers g2, and betweenthe latter plays a lever, H, whi ch alternately makes contact with oneof the levers and opens its valve. This lever II constitutes, or isconnected by suitable devices with,the armature of an electro-magnet, I,inthe main circuit, an electro-magnet, fi, in a derived circuit beingarranged to act upon said armature in oppo sition to the mainelectro-magnet I. A spring, s, connected to and extending between thelevers g2, serves to hold both valves closed when not operated upon bythe armature.

As thus constructed and arranged,when the current is established in thelamp-circuit, if the carbons are in contact the electro-magnet will, byattracting the armature H, open the valve y, thereby admitting the gasor liquid contained in the main under pressure to both ends of thecylinder. The area of the piston on the side attached to the piston-rodand subjected to the action of the fluid-pressure is less than on theother side, being diminished by and in proportion to the diameter of thepiston-rod. A differential pressure is therefore exerted upon the pistonwhen the fluid is admitted to both ends of the cylinder by the openingof the valve g, the valve g being closed, and the piston is forced in adirection to producea separation of the carbons to form the arc.

\Vhen, nov', the strength of the current in the electromagnet I isdiminshed by the clongation of the are, and that of the electro-inagnetin the derived circuit proportionally increased, the armature Hisgradually shifted from the lever ofthe valve y to that ofthe valveclosing the former and opening the latter. The pressure of the fluidbeing at all times maintained in one end of the cylinder, as the valve gis closed, cutting off the inlet to the opposite end ofthe piston, thepiston is cushioncd and held stationary, but upon the opening of thevalve y the iluid in that end ofthe cylinder is allowed to graduallyescape, and the piston is driven forward by the liuid in the oppositeend, communicating` motion to the carbon-carriers in a direction tobring their points more nearly together and diminish the resistance ofthe are.

It will thus be seen that, according to the arrangement shown, whenpressure is admitted to both ends of the cylinder, the piston is movedback to separate the carbons and form the are; when the escape isopened,the piston is moved forward by the pressure of duid in the mainto feed the carbons and when both the inlet and outlet valves areclosed, the carbons are maintained firmly in position 5 and all thesemovements are governed and controlled by the current in thelamp-circuit.

As will be obvious to those skilled in the art,1ny improved system,involving the use of a fluid-pressure apparatus for actuating thecarboircarriers, may be applied in many different forlns and to avariety of lamp mechanisms With but little if any modilication instructure. Moreover, theparticular apparatus shown is susceptible ofconsiderable modification without departing from the spirit andsubstance of my invention. Thus a constant pressure may be maintainedupon one end of the piston from a separate lnidsupply, a Weight,orspring, as shown in Figz, the fluid pressure on the opposite face of thepiston being varied by the automatic action of the valves. Two pistonsof different areas may be employed instead of a single piston--as, forexample,in Fig. (-and, if desired, the electromagnet t" intheshunt-circuit maybe replaced or supplemented by a spring acting inopposition to the main electro magnet I. rllhe form, proportion, andstructure of the various parts shown may be changed and varied atpleasure Without departing from my invention, so long as the essentialfeatures of an automatic feed-propelling device actuated by a iiuiddelivered under pressure is retained.

In Fig. 2 is shown a simple form of apparatus for actuating a singlecarbon, the device being duplicated and applied to both carbons, ifdesired. The carbon-carrier is attached directly to the rod L, whosepiston L is con` tained Within the cylinder and operated in the samemanner as described, with reference to Fig. 1.

Having described my invention, I claiml. In an electric-arc lamp, and incombination with the carbon carrying mechanism thereof, a motor orpropelling device driven by ailuid maintained under pressure, a iluidsupply pipe, an exhaust aperture, a valve, and an automatic governorcontrolling the admission and escape of the fluid in the motor,substantially as described.

2. In combination with the carbon-carrying mechanism, the fluid motor orpropelling device applied thereto, a fluid-snpply reservoir, a conduitconnecting said reservoir and motor, an escape-orifice, and an automaticgovernor interposed between thc motor and reservoir controlling theinduction and educ tion passages, substantially as described.

3. In an electric-arc lamp, and in combi nation with the carbon carriersthereof, a fluid-reservoir, a conduit leading therefrom, a cylinderconnected at both ends to said conduit, a piston in said cylinder Whosepistonrod is connected to the mechanism for actuating the carbons, avalve system for controlling the admission and escape of the lluidpressure in the cylinder, and electro-mag` netic devices for actuatingsaid valve system, substantially as described.

et. In an electric-arc lamp, and in combination with the carbon-carryingdevices thereof, a motor adapted to be driven by ailuid maintained underpressure, and consisting, essentially, of a cylinder, a piston workingthere` in and having operating faces of unequal area,

ICO

reservoir, open connections between the reservoir and both faces ofthepiston of the motor, and a valve mechanism controlling the admissionand escape of the fluid from one face of the piston, said valvemechanism being operated and controlled by electro-magnetic devices,substantially as described.

BRADLEY A. FISKE.

Vitnesses:

J. B. CHURCH, A. S. STEUART.

